Sugar and Spice
by Just That Girl
Summary: When the world of sugar, Diana and Adam, suddenly changes, can innocent Cassie Blake make friends with the "spice" of the circle? And more importantly, can she possibly find another love on Crowhaven Road? N/C or A/C...read and find out.
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: I do not own this wonderful series, LJ Smith does. **

**A/N: Here's chapter one. I am trying something new; I've always done Twilight and HP fanfics, so hopefully this will turn out alright. Please review (and don't worry, it gets better)! **

* * *

Crying served no purpose. Not under the circumstances Cassie was put under. She held herself together, legs tucked up under her, lamenting noiselessly. The ocean batted sand against her face and hair, but she did not surrender and run. For whatever reason, the ocean calmed her. Was it the fact that the ocean itself reminded her of Adam? She was pretty sure.

The fact that she ended up bundled there in the gritty sand was courageous. She stood tall against Adam's beautifully sculpted body and gorgeous golden-burgundy hair. She faced what he had to say in a bold and confident manner. She also challenged her role model, her living sun, without tears betraying her—the one thing she could never usually control.

An hour previous to her self reflection at the beach, she was at Diana's having a girl's night. She didn't even know how, now that she looked back on it. It seemed like ages ago. Ages that she had laughed or had any fun with her friends.

"So Cassie," Diana started, Melanie and Laurel chomped delicately on pieces of popcorn. They were still giggling after Laurel's "guy inspection" in the latest yearbook. "How are things with Adam?"

The three girls sobered up, the only noise heard was the slipping and scratching sound of a sleeping bag rubbing against another. Cassie tried her best to hide her surprise at this turn of topic. "Distant." She answered truthfully, hoping that Diana, as usual, would leave it at that. But for some strange reason she kept prying.

"Really, why is that?" She batted her eyelashes innocently, pulling a strand of her sunlit hair back behind her ear. Melanie and Laurel remained quiet, somewhat fading into the background, not wanting to get in the way.

"I don't really know." Cassie's heart ached a little. She loved Adam, passionate and true, but something was changing—and she couldn't tell if it was for the better.

"I'm sorry." Diana replied suddenly. Her voice left Cassie speechless. It sounded un-Diana like. It was detached and almost careless; almost…almost like Faye's.

_Well, they _are_ cousins, _Cassie remembered. But no, no, just because they were cousins, this was not some blood-related bond. Diana gave up Adam for Cassie. They were like sisters. Why was there this new-found tension?

"To tell you the truth, Diana, I think…I think he misses you." Silence. This took her by surprise. But, like Faye, she turned her surprise into an almost impossible smugness.

"Well, why would he when he has you?" Okay, this was getting freaky. She sounded too much like Faye. This wasn't Diana. Why did her tone take the breath out of Cassie? Why did Diana give Cassie this startling look that urged to throw her against the wall? And why on _earth _could Melanie and Laurel not see it?

Melanie was on her side, inspecting Cassie with those wide intelligent eyes. Laurel, sitting cross-legged next to Melanie, watched with a sly grin on her elfin face.

"Oh, I don't know," Cassie began sarcastically, standing to her feet. "Maybe because you are tall, intelligent, someone he's known for forever and you just happen to look like a Greek goddess?" Cassie was almost in hysterics now. Tears were going to boil over at any second, and to Cassie's worst fear, Diana just laughed.

"Oh yes. I must have forgotten."

Cassie ran, tore out of number one Crowhaven Road like it was hell on earth. What was happening? Faye did something. Yes, Faye must have done something. Something sinister. That's the only explanation why Diana was being so…well, like Faye.

She didn't blink, her mind went numb, and she decided to sit down right there in the middle of the street. No one went down Crowhaven unless they lived there. What would it matter?

"Cassie!" She knew that voice from anywhere. She turned to desperately search for the one bright person who could possibly cheer her up in the given situation. Adam stood there, chiseled and somewhat tense. "Cassie, we need to talk." His tone was firm. _He didn't even wonder why I was sitting in the middle of the road_, noted Cassie.

She expected him, at least, to help her up from the ground. Maybe even walk her over so they could talk on the beach. But he just stood, staring wildly. It was menacing, and Cassie was frightened. "I don't think we're going to work out."

Cassie's heart almost stopped. What the hell was going on? Was everyone she loved going crazy? They weren't being themselves. This had to be some sort of spell. _Faye_, Cassie thought. _I'm going to kill her_.

"Adam," Cassie's voice was strong. "Adam, did Faye do something? To you and Diana and the others…she did a spell, didn't she?" She took another look into his deep pools of blue. There had to be an answer hidden there. Had to…

"Adam…what about the silver cord? We're soul mates…"

He was shaking his head, already deciding the fate of their brief conversation. She could practically feel herself fall into thousands of pieces. His expressionless glance left her dry. "The cord somehow is nonexistent now. I feel nothing but pain, Cassie. Pain you have caused. I'm sorry." But he wasn't sorry at all. Not the way he was talking. He _was _under some sort of spell, Cassie just knew it. But she didn't really. Maybe it was fate taking the plunge after all. Or, back to square one, it could have been Faye.

And that was how it ended. Everything. Her life, her friends, her existence. She could feel the tears glide easily now, and they dripped into the sand and soon shriveled away and were long forgotten. Like her. Nothing could save her now…

"Cassie?" She hadn't heard a voice that called to her more. It was passionate; caring. A tone she hadn't heard in what seemed like days, although in reality, hours.

"What's wrong?" It was a new bright light, a cold and hard one, but nonetheless it seemed to give her hope. It was Nick.


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N:** I'm SO super sorry for taking this long. And in complete honesty, I need to re-read these books fast so I can make the story as accurate as possible. I've been so inexplicably busy that I've forgotten a lot. Please excuse any mistakes, even though I'm going to try as hard as I can to make it enjoyable. Reviews would be great! Hopefully you're still reading. They motivate me to keep going.

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There was a new face that clouded Cassie's brain, one that haunted her dreams. One that made her heart skip whenever she was with Adam. Nick so graciously backed down so Cassie could be happy with her so called soul mate. Even if it hurt him in the process.

"Nick!" Cassie called in pure bliss. She stood up shaking slightly, running the five foot distance to her friend. He hugged her gently, even though she found herself holding him tighter than expected.

Embarrassed and flustered, she burst out in to a heavy sob, almost to the point of hyperventilation.

"Shh, you don't have to explain now. Do you want me to walk you home?" In less than a second, Cassie furiously shook her head. She didn't want to go home. She wanted to stay in Nick's arms; she needed someone who believed her. Who was sincere, comforting.

"Okay." He stated in a strangely different voice. Nick's voice was usually tough, strong – like he could block all emotions so he would never get too hurt. Cassie wished she could be more like him.

After about ten minutes, and a tear soaked shirt on Nick's part, Cassie sat up. Nick just stared at her, as still as a statue. Cassie shivered. Not only from the cool breeze of the ocean, but from Nick's intense gaze.

"Wh-what?" Cassie asked, wiping the almost vanishing makeup that smeared her cheeks and glued her eyes together from all of her crying. She knew she must have looked so pathetic and ugly compared to the others. She cared a little, but not enough to get up and leave in utter humiliation.

"I'm trying to figure you out, Cassie Blake." He announced, still not breaking his stare into her eyes. The only other person who ever stared at her in this way was Adam – well, the old Adam anyway.

"Can you stop, please?" Cassie asked, her cheeks glowing a shameful shade of pink. Nick didn't stop, but he took a breath. One that blew on Cassie's exposed neck, sending chills down her spine. "Do you want to come to my house?"

Cassie stuttered. "You mean, like, stay over?"

"If that's what you want."

It didn't take her long to answer. "Yes."

*****

"So this is your room," Cassie took a good look at his decently sized room. The room resembled all of Crowhaven bedrooms. His bed sheets were black and the rest was as to be expected. There was one red candle by the window, which seemed unusually untouched. A gift maybe?

His walls were covered in posters of bands that Cassie barely heard of. Rock mostly, she assumed. Maybe screamo or metal. Obviously, that wasn't exactly Cassie's forte, but she could get used to it.

"It's nice," She commented, partially true. It had its own personality, which she liked.

"You don't have to lie." Nick grinned, heading over to his closet. She watched him dig from behind hidden clothes, tossed in there to seem like he cleaned. Cassie snorted; _Boys. _

He eventually tossed out an old camping mattress and arranged it on the floor.

"Take the bed." He announced, throwing one pillow onto his new settlement on the carpet. His bed was large and somewhat hard. _Very Nick._

"No, I couldn't…" She tried to protest, but Nick stopped her, already claiming the mattress as his own; standing on top of it, he faced Cassie who already plopped down on his bed, giving up.

"It's that, or I'm walking you home right now."

Cassie huffed, running a hand through her hair. "You are impossible."

"I know."

He walked across the room coolly, hunching over to take something out of the bottom of a dresser drawer. It was a flask.

"You want some?" He asked, staring at her again. This time it was in the candlelight of his room, which was much brighter than the stars where he accompanied her before. She tried to compose herself even though she must have looked like a complete fool.

"I'm not really in to alcohol. Thanks though, I guess."

He came to sit by her once again, although this time it was on his bed. She felt herself turn bright red, resisting the urge to get up. _We're on his bed. Get up, Cassie! You haven't even sat on Adam's bed! _

Her inner self tried to fight – the infamous angel and devil on her shoulder kind of feeling. She didn't move, however.

"Please, just take a sip. It's not alcohol. It's just something that will calm your nerves."

"Like a potion?"

He chuckled in her shocked reaction. Nick rarely made anything witchy, it was part of his whole bad boy, I-didn't-choose-this persona.

"I guess you could put it that way. It's basically a recipe I came up for myself… after you and Adam…" He coughed, handing her the flask and looking away. "Well, it doesn't matter. Just take it."

Cassie fixed her eyes on the flask and then back to Nick who's eyes wandered aimlessly at anywhere but hers. She was desperate. She needed something to stop the pain as quickly as possible. She would chase Faye tomorrow. She couldn't – _wouldn't_ – even think of any other possibility for the events that kept occurring.

She swished the contents of the flask around before she took a long gulp. It burned her throat, causing her to cough – it was almost impossible to tell, but it tasted like pain. How could something _taste_ like pain? Yet, in less than a second, she was shocked. She actually felt normal again. Like she could run after Faye at that very moment without losing control of her emotions.

The only feeling she still had left was a desperate longing – a tugging reaction of being alone.

Her heart leapt, and she put a hand over her heart to make sure it was still beating. Nick looked over, concerned, and held her close once again.

Something strange happened then. The moment his fingers grazed her arm, she was gone. She was somewhere else… she was Nick's emotions. His thoughts.

She could see _her_. She saw brief glimpses of tombstones and then of his close friends – but the ending was heartbreaking. It was all her. She saw herself smile, the first time Nick and her kissed, the day she burst in on him in his garage. The end sent her into tears, which more than a minute ago seemed almost impossible, but her burst of happiness drained with the last image. It was of her and Adam. She could feel Nick's pent up anger; his unbelievable grief. Tears.

She was crying not only from the images, but because Nick, the last time he held the flask, had been _crying. _

"What? What happened?" Nick worried, grabbing the flask and tossing it aside. He tugged her out from his chest and stared into her eyes. They were filled with fresh tears.

"Oh Nick. I'm sorry. I'm _so_ _so_ sorry. Forgive me. Please say that you will. Please, please, _please_!" She begged almost mercilessly.

His chin finally dropped in realization.

"Just go to sleep, Cassie." He muttered tersely, tearing from her gaze. He tried to get up but Cassie pulled him back down next to her. "Don't leave me. Please, just stay with me tonight."

He closed his eyes, fighting his inner conscience. He couldn't say no. If Cassie wanted him to stay, he would stay.

He slid onto the bed, propping a pillow against his back. Cassie lay next to him, keeping close to his chest. She still wept, but the comforting thud of his heart through his black t-shirt made it all worthwhile.

She read his face as she stared up at him. "Adam broke up with me." She spoke quietly, the pain cracking her small voice. She felt his arms tense up, his fists automatically tightening.

She tenderly grabbed his arm and he loosened – a bit. "It's not exactly what you think," She continued on, telling him all of what happened. She was surprised at herself; she only flinched twice throughout the story. It must have been the original effects of the drink.

"…and then you came along. You didn't act like them. You were you, and I owe you more than you ever will know. But… I still wonder how. How you didn't change too."

Nick didn't say a word, but only held her tighter. He knew good and well. He knew the reason.

He was in love.


End file.
